cover image The Ones Who Got Away: Women Who Left Abusive Partners

The Ones Who Got Away: Women Who Left Abusive Partners

Ginny NiCarthy. Seal Press (CA), $12.95 (329pp) ISBN 978-0-931188-49-7

NiCarthy (Getting Free) offers the stories of 33 women who have left abusive partners, and deftly mixes her commentary with the women's own voices. The subjects are notable for their different backgrounds: they come from the city and country, are black, white, Indian, come from broken homes, stable families, are straight and gay. But they have experiences that are eerily alike: most of them describe partners who in the beginning were tender and loving but who eventually became monsters, often under the influence of alcohol or drugs or both. Many of the women believed that if they were only a bit more understanding, considerate, or tolerant that things would change. (""I can change him. I can rescue him.'') And often what finally compelled the women to leave their partners was the threat of or actual abuse of their children. NiCarthy has done a service to those who need help getting out of abusive relationships as well as shedding light on the thoughts and feelings of women in such relationships. This is a sad, simple, powerful book. (October)